Chapter One
The story of how I met Ashley Davies is kind of dramatic. In fact, I once begged a friend of mine to make into a screenplay but he wasn't really interested. That's too bad. Because Ashley and I's story is one for the ages. We met at the most unexpected place and in an even more unexpected situation. I was twenty-two, she was nineteen, and we were both lost. Who could've known that the key to our happiness lay in eachother.
I'll tell you the story…
It was four fifty-five when I stumbled into the Bank of America on Georgia Avenue. It closed at five, and I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that I had just enough time to get my check deposited. I rushed over to the line before the teller stations and fell in behind a man of about forty with graying hair. He turned slightly, and I nodded a hello. He didn't offer much of a greeting, only a low grunt, and then turned back toward the front of line.
"Somebody woe up on the wrong side of the tomb," a scratchy, feminine voice said behind me, and I stifled a giggle. That was the first time I heard her voice, and the first of millions of times that she made me laugh. I turned around to a brunette, a few inches shorter than me with a smile that seemed permanently etched into her face.
"Tell me about it," I muttered, and her smile only grew.
"Attention all customers the bank will be closing in three minutes. I repeat, this bank will be closing in three minutes," a female voice said over the loudspeaker, and I peered up, looking for the voice.
"It's just a recording," the brunette said, and I shook my head at myself.
"Right. Of course," I said dumbly. Embarassed, I went to turn back around, but before I could she extended her hand.
"Ashley Davies," she said matter of factly, and I couldn't help getting lost in her eyes for a moment. There was something about her smile and the way she looked directly at you, as if she could see your soul. I must have been staring because after a second, she cleared her throat and chuckled some. "Do you happen to have a name?"
"Oh!" I exclaimed, blushing instantly. "My name is Spencer. Spencer Carlin."
"It's nice to meet you Spencer Carlin," she said grasping my hand and I couldn't help noticing how soft they were. We smiled dumbly at each other for another second before I heard a rather annoyed bank teller yelling into her loudspeaker, "Next in line Please!"
"Sorry," I apologized to Ashley, and I walked over to the counter. I swiped my bank card and then pulled my paycheck from my wallet.
"What's the amount of your check Ms. Carlin?"
"456 dollars and sixty-seven cents Ma'am." I replied, signing the back of the check. I then slid it under the glass screen.
"Will you be needing any cash back?"
"No, thank you," I finished. The teller busied herself punching numbers into her computer and I took a glance around. Ashley was standing a few feet behind, with a faint smile on her lips. I smiled back, not really sure why this girl was so contagious. The front door of the bank opened and Ashley's gaze shifted. I took this as a chance to look her over. She wore black skinnys with grayish back cowgirl boots, a gray v-neck sweater, and a bright teal scarf that was wrapped around her neck. It was a simple getup, but really classy. I suddenly felt under dressed in my jeans and a white north face fleece. When I my gaze had travelled the length of her body, it snapped back up to her eyes, and she was looking directly at me. I started to blush, but then I realized that she wasn't smiling or even smirking. Her eyes were actually wide as saucers and she was mouthing something to me that I couldn't really make out.
I heard the teller gasp behind me and I turned to look at her. "Are you okay?" I asked, but she only backed away, her hand pressed to her chest. "I said are you okay?' I asked again, but then I suddenly felt a hand in mine, tugging me backward.
"Don't make any sudden movements," I heard Ashley whisper, and for some reason, I knew to trust her. She wrapped an arm around my waist protectively and turned me around slowly. I stifled the shriek that crept into my throat upon seeing the three masked men at the bank entrance. They each held large machine guns and were walking slowly further into the bank.
"Don't do anything stupid," the largest of the masked men said. "We're not here to hurt you."
"But we will if we have to," the shortest of them said. The other two men, stopped and glared at the shorter man, and he took a few steps back. "I'll just man the door," he said and then disappeared into the foyer of the bank.
"Like I said before," the largest continued. "We're not here to hurt anyone. In fact, we're not even here to rob you." He stopped here to gage our reactions.
"Yeah right," Ashley muttered, and the masked man who had yet to speak walked over and brandished the gun in front of her face.
"You don't know anything about us bitch!" he yelled, and his voice was shaky and nervous.
"I'll tell you what I know," Ashley started , taking a step toward the man. "You're in here in all black, with these big ass guns, and you're yelling orders at us. Sounds like you're robbing the bank to me." I squeezed Ashley's hand and pulled her into me.
"Maybe you should listen to your girlfriend there," he countered, pointing the gun at me. Ashley snarled and gripped me tighter. No matter how afraid I was, I couldn't help but grin at how protective she was of me.
"Like I was saying," the largest man continued. "We're not here to rob this bank or any of you. I'm actually here to get something that's mine, that my wife decided to take away from me after I divorce."
"So can we leave then?" the old man who was ahead of me in line asked. "Just let us go home to our families.
"No," the man answer answered calmly. "Just let me get what I came for and you can all go home." At that the man broke the glass over one of the teller counters and climbed over. He motioned for the teller that was helping me to follow him, and she did so, biting her lip nervously.
At that, the main room of the bank was completely silent. I looked around nervously from the one customer to the next, until I realized that the masked man still left in the bank room was watching me steadily. I tensed suddenly and Ashley squeezed my hand, rubbing her thumb in circles on my palm.
"Don't worry Spence," she whispered. "Let's just sit down." I did as she asked, and as soon as we were seated she put an arm about my shoulders. I unconsciously leaned into her warm body and closed my eyes, trying to silence my fear. For a few moments all I heard was the quiet shuffling of shoes and the tapping of nails against the floor, but then I heard the sweetest voice that I've ever heard singing directly into my ear. I squeezed my eyes shut just trying to focus on how I felt in her arms. Somehow I knew that if I just did that everything would be okay.
She sang…
Take this sinking
boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful
voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing
your melody
I'll sing along
Her voice then dissolved into quiet humming and I opened my eyes for a split second. Every eye in the bank was on us, including the two leftover masked men. Ashley was completely oblivious. She hummed and ran her fingers through my hair, rocking us from side to side. After a few minutes of this we heard more shuffling and the largest masked men emerged from the back of the bank holding a small box.
"Thank you so much for your time everyone," he said, and I exhaled. He was obviously a man of his word. He started toward the door and signaled for his two henchmen to follow him. They did so, but not without taking a final glance at Ashley.
"God bless you," the old man, said to the men and they each nodded.
Just as they were about to reach the door, it burst open and four cops shuffled in. Without thinking they opened fire at the masked men. Ashley pushed me face-forward onto the floor and laid flat on top of me. I heard screams and the shattering of glass, then feet pounding against the floor, and the opening of a door.
"Pursue him!" a deep voice bellowed and a few pairs of feet jetted off after someone. I opened my eyes to peer around and saw that the bank was destroyed. There was glass everywhere, bullet holes all over the walls, and overturned chairs. The largest masked man lay motionless on the ground, alongwith the one who threatened Ashley. Two cops were racing around the room now checking on each customer. I exhaled and went to sit up, but Ashley didn't budge on top of me.
"Ash it's okay," I whispered, pushing against her but she still didn't budge. "Ashley" I said again with one final thrust, but Ashley just rolled off of me and onto her back.
"Oh my god!" the old man yelled from his position a few feet away from me. I whipped my head around, afraid of what I would find. Ashley was unconscious with a small bullet hole right above her stomach. "Ashley!" I screamed, but before I could do anything, two cops were picking her up and carting her away. I sat there, in shock, my mind racing.
"What are you doing?" the old man yelled. "Go with them!"
"Right! You're right!" I said, scrambling to my feet. I only just met Ashley but my heart was pounding at the thought of her dying.
"Wait! Wait for me!" I yelled running out behind the cops. They nodded that they had heard me and we continued down the block.
"Where's the ambulance?" I yelled.
"Too far away!" one officer yelled. He turned to me and his eyes flashed an amazing green. "I'll drive her down the road to Howard University Hospital. It'll be faster."
I nodded okay and climbed into the back seat of his car alongside Ashley. He rested her head in my lap and instructed me to put pressure on the wound. I did, trying to ignore the blood gushing out around my fingers. I closed my eyes and prayed, although I hadn't done so for many years. I prayed for love and hope and luck and mercy. I prayed for Ashley. I prayed for the girl that had already stolen my heart.
